To those who have reviewed: you're so amazing! There's nothing like getting that email from the net saying someone thought I wrote something worth their time… danke schön!

OOO

Siggy pushed into the main room, lugging a flat, rectangular box, with an over-loaded canvas bag on her shoulder.

Over the past few weeks, most of the others had been training, working on projects, and she…well, she was trying to keep busy writing up reports for Fury and observational data when she felt like it. She had assumed, by the last conversation with the S.H.I.E.L.D director, that she would be here for a long period of time.

Which meant she was going to be horrendously bored for an unknowable spell. When she pressed for an answer, she was not comforted… So she called her foster mother up in Alaska and asked her for a very, very special favor.

Luckily there was a handful of the crew in the room so she wouldn't have to make introductions a thousand times over. Thor was busy on the couch, trying to Skype with Jane who would be coming to visit soon. Then there was the hobo in the corner with a book or something. Barton and Natasha were fresh from a session in the shooting range, and finally Stark was sitting with Pepper at the bar sorting out some business.

Noticing the studious atmosphere, Siggy made to set the obtuse box down as carefully as possible. She gritted her teeth as everyone looked up to the crash when she lost her grip.

"Err…sorry." She muttered as she turned to everyone, with a red face. "Guess now that I have everyone's attention, you should know that there will be an addition to this little fun factory we call a dorm."

"Oh yeah?" She heard Tony pipe in, and spotted a hint of knowing. Of course he has an idea. This was his turf, but also he had Jarvis about to keep tabs for him. She only hoped there weren't cameras in their bathrooms.

"Do tell us who your new friend is." Stark said with a smirk.

She didn't have to…

A great ruckus hit the doors behind her, with relentless scratching heard through the metal, followed by howling. Thor immediately hit the pavement and was at her side, with an arm out as if to shield her. "What fiend did you bring to our door?"

Siggy pushed him aside, though with great effort that she quite unsuccessfully hid from the others. "Oh come off it, Tarzan! He's family." She said with a smile.

Finally Jarvis decided it was enough damage done to the door from the other side; the scratching on the metal was getting more aggressive. Without warring the doors swiped open and a huge beast leapt out of it, right onto the petite redhead.

"Ulfur!" she screeched from the floor while a near-hundred pound canine attacked her, tail in a windmill-spin. The man on the end of the leash was quite visibly regretting his pay scale as he tried to reign in the beast.

Squeals were her only voice before Thor himself had to lift the creature off Sigrün. She was laughing so hard as she lied on the floor to contain herself, that it took her a minute to speak. "I missed him so much! He was just a puppy when I left him at home." She said as she was offered a hand up.

"He still is a pup!" Thor offered with a laugh as the wolf-dog struggled against the massive arm containing him, licking and kicking out at the demi-god all at once. "He's quite spirited, Siggy!" he said and carefully lowered the pup to the ground despite the squirming.

"He's about a year old now. I had to leave him right after I left for Romania for three months, came back to a little beast, and then I was...err, recruited to come here. My poor baby!" she cooed as the pup finally leapt up, his paws dwarfing her shoulders.

"Ahem," they heard and looked over at Stark. "You really think I'll let this mangy thing stay here?"

Before Siggy had the chance to fight him, Pepper interrupted. "I think you should let her pet stay with her."

"Ah…come on, Pepper. Seriously? Think of the fur!"

The strawberry-blonde smiled at her boyfriend but it had an edge to it; one that said, I win…or else.

"Fine! Whatever, it's just a dog anyway." Tony barked, but he was sure to watch her as she walked to the door. He noticed the wink she'd offered to Sigrün. "Holy shit, she knew about this? Pff, women." He muttered and turned back to his drink, then announced, "The doggie can stay, but if he shits anywhere, that's on you."

Siggy grinned with delight and rubbed her wolf-dog's cheeks. "I knew he'd say yes. Who could say no to you, Ulf-bear?" Stark's put-upon moaning in the back did nothing to deter the woman's pleasure at having her fluffy companion at her side.

"What do you say we get you some eats soon?" she asked the beast, and his tail curled up, swaying back and forth. "By the way, thank you for helping, Thor. Ulfur tends to be a bit much for many…myself included."

The god laughed and patted the wolf-dog's head fondly. "He is a good beast, and he'll keep you company and give you protection when needed"

At that, she laughed and shook her head with gusto. "That he will not. He'd probably show them where the jewelry is. Well, we won't keep you anymore, Thor. I've got to finish a report before dinner. Come on, Ulfur." She said and he happily trailed her to her desk, one she'd claimed over her time there. Siggy didn't worry much about the box that held Ulfur's cage that she dropped earlier. She'd enlist help later on to lug it to her room.

OOO

After an hour or so, dinner was announced and Siggy leaned back to stretch in her chair. Too bad she hadn't heard a peep from Loki since that first incident. He was really excellent at popping her aching back. Kinda sucks… too bad he's a narcissist or he might be good in bed, her thought process barked out before she could retract it.

She hissed, saved her program, and shut the laptop before she hopped up and slumped onto the couch beside Ulfur. Despite the jump, her mind went right back to other things.

As if she knew what sex actually felt like. Because of her 'gift' from her mother, she had never been able to earn that medal. She'd tried of course…Many times, she thought with a frown, as she remembered those awkward encounters. Her condition had left some burnt and scalded would-be-lovers in her wake. Siggy would never know what it felt like to be in bed with another…due to the potentially lethal symptoms of coupling with her. She was resolutely single for life.

A collection of males howling at one another interrupted her thoughts, and she was thankful. Ulfur rooed a little, and he stretched out as she pushed his grabby claws away to stand up and join the ruckus.

"You have no idea what you're getting into, Stark." Banner said, hands wringing together with anxiety.

"What? We heard the transmission. All we need to do is go see this guy, and trade him something for it. Simple and sweet."

"Sounds like a pact with the devil." Rogers said with a sneer. "What the hell did he want in return?"

"Well," Stark replied with a pitched voice, "He didn't say, but we will need his help eventually. What with the threats we have going on out there, Jesus, have you heard Fury? Come on! Sentient robots? New aliens on the horizon. Worse than the Chitari? I mean, yeah, sic Jarvis on them or something, that'll work."

"Shall I really, sir?" they heard from above.

Stark ignored him and shook his head. "We were told this is what we're getting into, we have to worry about the big picture."

Sigrün could not wait a moment longer before she popped in beneath the Cap's elbow, while he was angry arm-crossing. "What's going on? What is this he asking for?"

The Captain chimed in then. "Well, nothing yet, but we were talking to a...an informant."

"Nice way to sugar coat it for her, Cap-e-tan." Stark poked. "After all, she's the daughter of a Valkyrie, she can handle big words."

Sigrün tried to just shrug at Starks words, but she couldn't help it. The fact that she was utterly pissed was an understatement at this point…

She absently heard the whoosh of the doors behind her as she opened up all verbal attacks upon the billionaire. "You know what? Fuck you, Tony! You must know all my dirty secrets by this point so just go ahead and lay them out for us all to hear! I'm sure you'll surprise even myself!"

Siggy felt a heavy hand on her shoulder, but she instantly gritted her teeth and an uncontrolled flame burst from her hair and back, throwing it off so she could confront Stark on her own terms.

"You son of bitch," she hissed, as she advanced, small flames flickering. "You knew all about me, despite the fact I tried to push things underneath. What do you know?" she howled and grasped his shirt collar, shaking him.

As drops of his whiskey hit the floor, Stark cleared his throat and said, "I don't think this is for me to say…" He pointedly looked at Banner, who turned a horrible shade of green, and not the big-guy kind. "You know what I'm saying." He grated as the female realized she was holding Stark above the ground with ease.

Siggy dropped him; she was not thinking about what she'd just done because she was completely trying to block the image of her own nails, thick and curled inward, like claws.

Siggy dimly moved toward the demure doctor for answers, her new claws up for evidence. She looked up with tears in her eyes and fear evident on her face. "Tell me….please Bruce."

Banner sighed and said, "Your mother once tried to help me. Her name was Samantha, at the time. Her father was very influential, but she helped me…. long story short, she was actually a reincarnate of your mother, Brunnhilde. She was originally one of the highest Valkyrie in Asgard…but she birthed you here, on earth. When Brunnhilde earned her body back, she...well, she left you here."

The breathless sigh that left Siggy caused the males surrounding her to immediately close in and attempt to catch the 'delicate female'. At the realization she recoiled and began snapping.

"You assholes!" she screamed, "I'm not a damn flower!" Although tears threatened, she refused to admit it hurt her. She'd long ago accepted that her original mother or father had left her. However, she now had a loving foster mother…but old wounds hurt the most.

"So, now that my dirty laundry is aired and out in the open…mostly because I pushed," Siggy admitted, with a defeated sigh as she leaned over and gripped her waist, deep in thought. "What the hell do we need to do now?" she said, eyes slightly red but just as rich and golden as before. "Who's ass needs a beating?"

"Well, we need to see this man called the Collector."

"That doesn't sound ominous at all." Siggy replied with a frown, as she felt a cool body beside her. It's been so long since she felt any form of cold. She was always hot, always warm. There was no such thing as comforters for her, or cute winter leggings.

She wondered at the feeling a moment, then looked back and met the eyes of Loki, who seemed just as incredulous that he had gotten so close to her.

In that moment, they realized that what they were feeling was a mutually opposite, but fully perfect sensation of temperatures leveling out.

It was fucking horrifying.